Magdalena Waz
Maybe you’ve been to Tula’s well-appointed studio, Tula House, or stumbled across the “Tulita” Truck at Brooklyn Flea in DUMBO. Starting this weekend, you’ll have one more opportunity to browse Tula’s gorgeous selection of plants via a pop-up on an empty lot in East Williamsburg.
The shop is called “Tula TURF,” and it will be open starting Saturday, September 2 and run throughout the fall.
“More than just a pop-up shop, TURF is a community space and garden where visitors are invited to relax outdoors and strike up a conversation about nature and creativity,” the shop’s organizers say.
Tula has a bit of a different business model in the sense that they did not start with the physical location and wait for the customers to come to them. Owner Christan Summers tells Bushwick Daily that a storefront was always the final goal, but the business was not quite ready for that kind of financial leap.
Summers says, “The lot came about very organically…[B]ack in the spring I received an email from a former colleague who told me his wife works with a local Brooklyn guy who owns a number of buildings in Williamsburg. And he had an empty lot available immediately. As soon as I saw it I knew it was perfect for Tula’s next move.”
The lot itself has no heat, electricity, or plumbing, but does have enough water to keep the plants alive. “We’re embracing the rawness of the lot and not trying to perfect its weathered look or recreate a space that already has so much character,” Summers says.
Because they’re on the move often, Summers says they are able to bring beautiful plants to a greater number of people than if they stayed put in a physical space all the time. “This space won’t last forever, so inherently we’ll be on the move again in another shape and form. But for now this current location gives us a chance to meet a new set of plant and design lovers,” Summers adds.
If it’s half as beautiful as Tula House or their greenhouse on wheels, we’re there for it.
Find out more about Tula from their website, their Instagram or Twitter for updates to Tula TURF’s schedule.
All images courtesy of Tula.